


Wings in the Dark

by LorenzoS



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen, Introspection, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LorenzoS/pseuds/LorenzoS
Summary: Remilia goes out for a late night flight.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	Wings in the Dark

Remilia Scarlet balanced precariously on the spire's point with a naked foot. Before her, the world stretched out.

She inhaled the summer night air. It had rained today. Or was it yesterday? Either way, the sweet musk of petrichor filled her dead lungs. The clouds, once a seamless ceiling of gray, were now beginning to disperse. Pale, silvery light shimmered through from the stars and half moon far above.

The setting couldn't be more perfect. Tonight, Remilia shall fly.

Two black needles sprouted from her shoulder blades, piercing her pink nightgown. Then, they unfurled into magnificent banners of black membrane, each one longer than she is tall. She swayed as they tested the air, wings grasping for any currents that'll carry her aloft.

But only a faint breeze stirred her hair.

 _So be it,_ she thought, and with the deafening kettledrum of wings, she leaped high. One flap, then two flaps, and then a dozen more as she left her brooding manor and the sparkling waters of Misty Lake far below. There, among the sea of horizons, she let her mind wander.

Long, long ago, when it was just her and her sister, Remilia had slept at day and woke at night. She had many of these excursions back then, where she flexed her wings and flew without the aid of magic; a joy her sweet Flandre was unable to partake in, as her own came out bare and skinless, like the withered branches of an old oak.

Still, and while she felt guilty admitting this, Remilia much liked the solitude. On a silent night such as the present, she can pretend that there was nobody else in the world but her. The fears and humdrum of life lived too long all melted away under the wind's loving caresses against her face and wings. Truly, Remilia has never felt more at peace then when she flew. That's why, when she adjusted her sleeping habits to match those of her servants, she had found herself growing irksome and snappy.

Ah, but none of that matters now. She had wings! Beautiful, beautiful wings! And how they _soared!_ Exhilaration filled her soul, and she did arcs, spins, and loops that left the world a smear of silvers and blues. Before she knew it, she had left Scarlet Devil Mansion behind and now flew over the Forest of Magic, an unbroken sea of greens washed gray by moonlight. To her northeast and on the horizon towered Youkai Mountain, its peak piercing the clouds and cutting a sinister silhouette against the night sky. Although the Human Village remained out of sight, Remilia knew that if she kept pressing forward, she would stumble across it eventually.

It would do no good getting spotted there. She'd rather keep her nightly outings a secret as to ensure that she went undisturbed during them. So, she made up her mind to stop and turn back at the village's edge.

Remilia slowed, her wings beating occasionally to maintain her altitude. She was intent on enjoying the time she had left. Why rush to the finish line when there was no prize? But, just as she was about to do another loop, she caught sight of movement far ahead.

A dark, flitting speck was dancing through the heavens. At this distance, it would have been impossible to make out any more detail, but Remilia Scarlet's eyes saw, and they saw well. The speck had a human's shape, but the wings betrayed their nature. They were black wings, like her own, and feathered, unlike her own. There was white about their torso, but at this point, Remilia stopped looking, afraid—afraid that if she recognized the flier who dared intrude upon her solitude, the illusion would shatter, and the mysticism of night that she so desperately cultivated would be ruined.

Still, there was something about the flier's movements that seemed off. From the corner of her eye, the flier rose and fell, did loops and spins, and suddenly, Remilia came to a realization. This stranger flew on wings alone, without the aid of magic.

The flier stopped and hovered in place. At once, Remilia knew that she had been spotted. She hesitated, wondering if she should end her flight early and leave.

 _Me? Leave?_ She gnashed her teeth. _Absurd! Why should I cower in my own realm? It is THEY who should leave!_

Her wings stretched their full span. One powerful flap, and she shot forward.

Underneath her harsh thoughts bubbled an burning curiosity. She had to know who this stranger was and why they flew with magicless wings. She wanted to see their face, hear their voice, and feel their skin. She wanted to know everything there was to know about a person who dared challenge the Scarlet Devil with their presence.

She was getting close now, oh she was getting close. She could make out the stranger's face, but only for a moment as it grinned before diving for the trees below. They vanished beneath the canopy without so much as disturbing a leaf. Remilia dove in after them.

Thus began the chase.

The Forest of Magic was densely packed with obstacles. While the stranger nimbly threaded trunks and branches alike, Remilia barreled through. She cared little for the wooden claws that tore at her nightgown and reached for her eyes. She cared even less for the thick conifer that barred her path, and she knocked it aside with a hand. Bark splintered and sap flew.

Close again. Almost within arm's reach. The flier seemed to sense it. A terrific burst of wings, and they sped ahead once more. Swirling black feathers and leaves obscured Remilia's vision for a moment, and then, she was in a vast open field of swaying green rice stems. The Forest of Magic was now behind her. She had reached one of the Human Village's farmsteads.

Remilia allowed herself a smirk. Out here in the open, she had no doubt she could pin the intruder down and force them to spill their secrets. After her curiosity had been satiated, perhaps she would help herself to their blood as a reminder that the night belonged to her and her alone. Oh, she hoped they'll scream!

But the stranger had other plans. Their wings flicked, and they snapped up in a daring ascent, straight to the sky. Remilia was quick to pursue.

Higher and higher the two climbed.

Higher still.

So high that they surpassed the clouds.

Near the apex of their ascent, the stranger turned and offered a hand. Remilia didn't quite know what possessed her to take it, but take it she did. It was warm, yielding, yet had a surprising strength to it. The stranger pulled her up, taking her other hand in the process.

In the brief moment that they hung, neither rising nor falling with fingers interlocked, Remilia made a dozen observations. The stranger was a woman with sharp features, observant red eyes, and wide grin that refused to drop. She smelled freshly crisp, like mountain air and autumn leaves. Ruffled black hair matched her state of dress, which consisted of a wrinkled white blouse and black skirt.

Remilia suddenly remembered that she herself only wore a nightgown with nothing underneath, and that it was torn in places. In a bout of madness, she completely forgot why she wanted to corner this stranger and instead was overcome with bashfulness.

The stranger's weight dropped. Remilia was now on top of her, but only for a moment. They began to fall headfirst, hands still clasped.

They picked up speed. Remilia made to spread her wings, but the stranger tugged at her. _No,_ the stranger mouthed. _Not now._

And then Remilia knew. This perilous, spiraling dive was a game. Whoever let go first loses, and the winner will either pull up after or end up a red smear in a crater.

The Scarlet Devil grimaced. She couldn't lose, not to a stranger who glimpsed her bare body underneath tattered clothes; who led her on with smiles and chases; who flew at night with magicless wings. Her pride would not allow it, so she fell.

Wind screamed past Remilia's ears. Her eyes watered. The stranger broke out into a cold sweat—Remilia could feel it slick against her palms. They hurtled towards the point of no return as the world rushed up to meet them.

Then, the stranger lost. She let go, and immediately Remilia flared her wings, but it was too late. She crashed into the rice field like a pink and black meteor, obliterating the surrounding plants in a muddy explosion.

It was at times like these that Remilia was thankful for her undead fortitude. She dragged herself upright and scanned the starry skies, searching for the winged impudence so that she may act on the rest of her desires.

But the stranger was nowhere to be found. Remilia glanced this way and that until a distant _boom_ tipped her off. There, streaking towards Youkai Mountain with unprecedented speed, was the stranger. She was leaving.

And now she had left.

Remilia blinked, stunned. She was victorious, but all it did her was crumple her wings, tatter her nightgown, and plaster her in filth. She didn't even get the stranger's name, much less why she flew at night with magicless wings.

Distant voices from behind and to the left. Remilia glanced over her shoulder. There was a humble cottage not far away enough. Lantern light moved from within as the occupants stirred. It appeared her crash had not gone unheard. She muttered a curse and took off, wings hanging uselessly as magic sustained her flight.

Remilia returned to her mansion and sought her loyal head maid. She found her in her bedroom, a doe in her sleep. Remilia laid a hand on her shoulder and gently shook it.

"Wake up, Sakuya," she rasped. "I need a bath."

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfiction, and it's a Touhou one! I've always enjoyed Touhou fan content, but I haven't really touched the official material all too much, especially the games. Only recently have I picked up EoSD, and good lord did I struggle. I just barely managed to beat the game on normal with Marisa (god bless her enormous screw-off laser), and now I'm on the extra stage. Hopefully I can get past Flandre and move on to the other games before I start writing too much fanfiction...


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